


The Chase Towards a Future

by RayCatz



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Minor Injuries, Team meets _____ fic. But who is _____?, Wind (Linked Universe)-centric, Wind and Legend are here so there is swearing, Wind wants to know more about the Triforce, mild time travel shenanigans, trials upon and under the ocean
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:22:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29559045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RayCatz/pseuds/RayCatz
Summary: After the defeat of Ganondorf the triforce seemed to have vanished. Wind assumed it had completed its job and thus disappeared. However, here are other heroes with their own tales of an ancient relic and festering evil. Where does the triforce go when wished upon? When will Ganon inevitably return?Some questions only the future holds the answers to.
Relationships: Four & Hyrule & Legend & Sky & Time & Twilight & Warriors & Wild & Wind (Linked Universe), Legend & Wind (Linked Universe)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 24





	The Chase Towards a Future

Wind leans against the railing of Tetra’s ship, rests his chin on his hands, and gazes over the ocean. A playful breeze tugs at his hair. He rocks with the ship, rolling back onto his heels with each passing swell. Warm sunlight seeps into his clothing, warming his shoulders and back. He takes a deep breath. Exhales slowly. It sure is good to be back on the Great Sea.

“Hoy! Big Brother!”

Wind looks up to find his sister calling down from the crow’s nest of Tetra’s ship.

Wind waves back. “Hoy!”

Aryll’s clothed in the pink skull dress that Tetra helped her to sew. Her hair is tied back in the loose pigtails that he helped her with this morning. Hyrule’s up there next to her, waving with a broad smile, telescope in his other hand. Wild’s slightly above them, perched near the tip of the mast, gazing out in wonder. The hearty sea breeze whips the trio’s hair and the gulls cry and glide about them. A dark portal spat Wind and his companions out on Outset Island yesterday evening. This is the second time they’ve visited Wind’s Hyrule, so an island tour wasn’t necessary. However, unlike last time, Tetra’s ship was docked to the island. The crew was there already visiting Granma and Aryll. Wind introduced them all and they’d spent the night at his house, setting out with Tetra soon as the sun rose. Wind had eagerly leapt aboard the ship, his boots hitting the familiar wooden deck with a satisfying thunk. 

“The weather looks good!” Hyrule calls down. Wind can make out Aryll shoving the other hero lightly. She reaches up on tiptoe to whisper something in Hyrule’s ear. He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly and tries again.

“‘Tis fair weather for plundering!”

“Aye! ‘Tis fair weather indeed!” Wind’s response is backed by the voices of Tetra and the crew.

Hyrule’s getting there. Could be louder, though. It had taken Wind a couple weeks of sailing with Tetra to get accustomed to the odd traditions. The calls and responses that are now second nature. It’s been a blast teaching them to the group. Wild, Hyrule, and Sky were always excited to hear him ramble about life on the sea. The others would politely listen and nod in the right places, at least feigning interest to be nice about it. But now that they’re here they have to listen to him and it’s great! This is his element. He’s even taught the old man a few knots for the sails and got a nod of approval out of it. Given, the old man’s better at not babying him than some of the others, but still, it feels good having his skills recognized.

Legend shoves aside the ropes he’s been coiling and joins Wind at the banister. “Your Hyrule has too much water.” The veteran hero leans his elbows on the railing and considers the ocean, his lip curled in distaste.

Legend could take his cloudy attitude elsewhere, Wind thinks. The waves sparkle under the sunlight. He sailor hums. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is home.”

“A home built on the ruins of an old kingdom.”

Wind bristles. The clear blue water goes on and on. Endlessly deep, turning from the color of the sky to the color of darkest midnight beneath the ship. Time’s Hyrule is down there, somewhere. Buried under miles of water. Do the others resent it?

“Then again,” Legend goes on, “everything is built on something. Rebuilt.” Wind doesn’t miss how Legend glances to Hyrule. “Built up stronger.” He pushes away from the railing. “And then forgotten. Rinse and repeat.”

Wind lets out a breath. That at least is true. Stories of the old kingdom of Hyrule are dying away. Crumbling alongside the castle below the waves. Heck, the triforce is only known now as triumph forks, its legends lost to time. But that’s fine, isn’t it? It’s what the King wanted. To let go of the past and move on to a new future. Wind is proud of the work of his people. Proud of the sturdy homes clinging to shore and cliff. Proud of Tetra and the quests they’ve been on together. If the others resent that the old kingdom’s been flooded, well, they’re just going to have to get over it. Hyrule exists with its people and that’s that. Doesn’t matter where it is. They have a future.

Legend is still standing next to him, arms crossed. The back of the veteran’s left hand is just visible under the hem of his sleeve. The traces of the triforce he must have once carried are a faint gold etched into the skin.

Wind’s been holding onto a question, may as well ask it. “Say, Legend?”

“Mm?”

“You’ve dealt with the triforce before, right?”

Legend’s sulky contemplation turns to curiosity. “Yeah, a few times, actually. Why?”

“Where does it go once it’s used? It was wished upon at the end of my first quest, and then it just flew apart and vanished.”

“First off: Don’t go searching for it.”

Wind rolls his eyes. “Well duh. I’m just curi-”

“Second off: Don’t worry about protecting it because it's probably somewhere safe and your Hyrule doesn’t seem to have any great burgeoning evil that may be seeking it out at the moment.”

Wind knocks on the side of the ship, earning a wry laugh from the veteran.

“It was used recently, right?” Legend asks and Wind nods. “Then it’s probably holed up in the temple of light in the sacred realm or something.” Legend’s nose wrinkles like it does when he’s thinking. “If it’s still that in this time- You sealed Ganon?”

Wind nods. A cold dread trickles down his spine at Legend’s question. He stiffens a little and his lips press into a frown. “I sealed him good. The master sword’s clean through his skull at the bottom of the ocean. Why do you ask? What does Ganon have to do with the sacred realm?”

“Well, I don’t know where the _sword_ seals him. But in my experience Ganon’s usually sealed within the sacred realm.”

Wind sputters. That was stupid! No fucking wonder he keeps coming back. “He’s sealed _where_ the triforce is? That’s dumb as fuck!”

“Yeah, no kidding. If he’s there now-”

“Are you telling me Ganon’s gonna come back in my time, Legend?!” Wind’s fingers itch to draw the phantom sword. He’s this close to flinging himself overboard and swimming to the bottom of the sea himself just to kill that bastard again for good. The sun’s cold on his back. Legend takes him by the shoulder, pulling him back to the present.

“Calm down, kid! It's a pretty big ‘if’.”

“Hey! Everything alright?” It’s Wild’s voice from high above.

“Yeah!” Legend supplies. “Just peachy. Wind’s seasick.”

Wind elbows Legend in the ribs. “I do not get-”

Aryll finishes for him, an indignant “My brother doesn’t get seasick!” Yeah, Aryll! Point for sibling solidarity!

Hyrule’s worried face appears over the side of the nest’s railing. “Should I come down?”

Wind and Legend reply in unison. “No!”

Hyrule shrugs and his head disappears back over the railing.

Legend reaches out to rub Wind’s back, hesitantly? Wind grips the sun warmed railing of Tetra’s ship, tracing the familiar grooves in the wood with his fingertips.

Legend continues, “I was just thinking, _if_ Ganon is sealed in the sacred realm; then it might be corrupt in this time, _but!_ ” Legend’s kinda exasperated by now but Wind’s glad he hasn’t bailed on him. “Don’t worry about protecting the triforce. It’ll call you or whoever the hero is when needed. Who knows when the seal will break. For all we know Ganon’s at the bottom of the ocean like you said.”

Wind presses his palms into his eyes. “If this just keeps happening- if we keep going in circles- if he keeps getting to the triforce and breaking out and coming back- why don’t we just destroy the triforce? Wish it away. End the cycle?”

The cold wry laugh again. “I’ve thought about that.” Legend says. “I’ve been to a world where the triforce was destroyed. It didn’t go well. The world was thrown out of balance and fell into ruin.”

“What happened to that world?” Wind’s hands return to the banister. He’s a little calmer listening to Legend’s story.

“A hero from another world saved it. Alongside a merchant and two princesses.”

“So,” Wind guesses, “that hero was you?”

“So, that hero was me.” Legend pats Wind’s back again, earnestly, and leans back onto the railing. “Don’t make me save you, too.” Legend turns to Wind and waves a finger in his face. “Cause we all know Hylia will drag my ass out here to fix stuff the second anything goes wrong. I’ll never let you hear the end of it!”

Wind pushes the veteran’s hand away with a chuckle. “Alright, alright.”

Legend regards him, really looks at him. Wind squirms under the inspection. But then Legend’s sharp features soften and he looks away again. Out over the ocean where seagulls float lazily on the warm breeze.

“What was the wish?” Legend asks.

“It was a wish for a future.” That was all it was. The sea swells gently, rocking the ship in a familiar and comforting rhythm. Wind rubs at the back of his own hand. At the lines that remain from when he held the piece of courage. Legend’s own hand is etched with the whole thing, so, maybe, “What did you wish for?”

“A future.”

Wind smiles at that.

“Hoy, swabbie! So this is where you’ve been!” Legend flinches, called out of his daydreaming. Niko saunters over, readjusts his blue bandana, and huffs at Legend. “I’ve been looking all over for you! Yer not getting a nip of respect on this vessel before you’ve completed my pirate challenges!”

Warriors flanks Niko looking smug. “Pirate challenges! Whatever this is there’s no way I’m losing to you.”

“Yeah right.” Legend returns. The veteran looks to Wind. “Just what kind of weird hazing is this?”

Wind leans back on his elbows. “Niko’s just going to show you the ropes.” A blinding grin breaks over Wind’s face at the pun. “I did it too.”

Niko beckons to Legend, “Hurry up, swabbie!”

“How long’d it take you?” Legend’s got that competitive look on him.

“Fifteen seconds.” Says Wind.

“Easy.” Legend hurries below deck making bets with Warriors on who will beat that time. Knowing Legend, he’ll probably shave a few seconds off of his own record, dang it. He’d have to show him up later. But that’s a problem for another time. For now, Wind lets his gaze drift back to sea.

Tetra had caught him up with what he’d missed while he’d been away. A lot of ocean. Lots and lots of ocean. They’d found a couple of new islands. Small, but exciting nonetheless. He wishes he could have been there. Right now, they’re following a rumor of land out to the east. Some fisherman got caught up in a cyclone and swears that he’d seen a swath of land larger than Windfall Island. It might have been only a hallucination brought on by being spun around too many times, Wind’s certainly had his fair share of those, but apparently it’s one of the better leads the crew has had in a while. Wind’s got the itch to explore. Excitement grabs his chest and sets him bouncing in place slightly. New lands and an open ocean and his friends! Ganon might be in that future, somewhere, however distant. But for now, Ganon is gone, and the light speckled ocean beckons.

“Hey, kid.” Thoughts interrupted, Wind seeks out the voice of the one person allowed to call him “kid”. She takes Legend’s spot on the railing next to him.

“Hey, Tetra.” Wind nudges her shoulder and she nudges him back harder.

“Your friends sure are taking their sweet time learning the ropes.” Tetra pokes a thumb over to Wild who’s still up the mast. The champion chooses that moment to plunge back down to join Hyrule and Aryll. “This is the third time I’ve had to untangle that one from the rigging. Sky though, Senza says he’s been really helpful checking over the hull. And Nudge has Twilight and Four occupied repairing nets.”

Wind hums.

Tetra nudges him again and with a laugh. “Stop sleeping on the job and get some work done too, you lout.”

Maybe he’s feeling a little brazen. Maybe a little hopeful. Maybe he’s drunk on the ocean breeze he’s missed so much traveling through the landlocked fields of his companions. Wind turns on his heel and scoops Tetra up under the arms. She shouts and swats at him. He just lifts her higher and swings her around in a circle and she’s laughing with him.

“Aye aye, Captain!” He giggles and lets her down.

Tetra punches him in the shoulder good naturedly. “Try that again and you’re going overboard.”

“Aye.”

Tetra’s sea green eyes are alight, warm and present, an anchor. It’s good to be back, he thinks.

“Ship off to the starboard side!” The moment between them is broken with a shout from the crow’s nest. Aryll, telescope pressed up to her scrunched face, surveys the horizon.

“It’s a whopper, Tetra!”

Tetra returns to her station at the helm. “Hyrule, Wild, Aryll, get down, switch with Zuko.”

The three in the nest scramble down, Zuko with his telescope nimbly taking their place.

Time, Twilight, Four, and Sky gather on the deck with the crew. Legend and Warriors emerge from below deck to join them, followed by a frazzled Niko. The two of them must have destroyed the ropes course in no time flat.

Wind squints out at the growing dot on the waves. Aryll’s right. Whoever’s out there has a good sized ship.

Tetra spins the helm turning them out of the wind so they slow. “Whadaya see, Zuko?”

Zuko calls down an answer but it's not one Wind wanted to hear. It’s the last one Wind wanted to hear, actually. He quickly goes to Aryll’s side and she passes over the telescope without a fuss. Wind pats her on the head and brings the scope to his eye. Focuses it. A cold knot tightens in his stomach.

Legend calls up to Zuko. “What was that?”

Wind heard what Zuko said loud and clear. He brings down the scope and catches Tetra’s eye. Sharp as flint with determination but behind them is the same worry that’s caught him. He suppresses a shudder. _Ghost ship_.

“Colors, Niko? Can you tell me what the figurehead is?” Tetra shouts out, turning them back, wind behind them.

“They’re not flying colors. The figurehead looks like a bokoblin, Miss Tetra!”

“Not a skull?”

“Nay.”

Alright, so not Bellum’s ship. That ship would be surrounded by fog, anyways, not out for the naked eye to see. As the ghost ship gains, Wind can see that it's surrounded by dancing blue orbs, like that of his first journey. The ghost ship he’d boarded when he was with The King of Red Lions wasn’t difficult to deal with. Just a few monsters guarding a triforce shard. In. Out. Easy and no time lost. No friends turned to stone. Wind passes the scope back to Aryll, runs across the deck, and takes the stairs two at a time to Tetra’s side. Clouds gather on the horizon, washing the blue skies slate gray. The ship sways unevenly on choppy waves.

Time’s up on the quarterdeck beside them. “Looks like the ship’s bringing a storm with it.”

Tetra holds tight to the wheel. “You should get your boys below deck. Mine can handle it from here.”

Time nods. “You heard the lady! Below deck, boys!” There are groans and a hiss from Legend but the heroes retreat into the ship. Wind breathes a sigh of relief seeing Aryll’s pigtails bouncing among them, ushered on by Twilight. Time places a hand on Wind’s shoulder. Heavy. Reassuring. Wind smiles. _I can do this! Trust me!_

Time pats him twice. “We’ll be out to help if we hear fighting.”

Wind gives a tight nod in thanks. Then Time is down the stairs and below deck and the storm is upon them.

“Mako! Niko! I want to go fast!” Tetra calls out orders over the parting skies and the crew springs into action. Despite the situation, Wind can’t help but feel a tug of excitement at getting to flex his sailing muscles again. Everyone dives to their duties and move around each other unhindered like a well oiled machine. “Link! I need you to fill the sails! Let’s get away from this thing!”

It’s weird, hearing his name after so long. It tickles. Right now he’s Link, Hero of the Winds, and he has a job to do. Link flicks the wind waker from its spot on his belt and flourishes it before him. He backs up, right up against the railing as aft as he can get, to have a better view of the mainsail. The ghost ship is behind them, a little to the right. If he swings the wind around from the left he should avoid filling the ghost ship’s sails as well (if the wind has any effect on it). And if they’re quick enough they should be able to pass it by before it can turn to follow, because following it is. The ghost ship is closer, no longer a speck in the distance, but a distinct ship with tattered black sails and it’s gaining fast.

3/4 time. Link twirls the wind waker up, left, right, catching eddies of air that twirl away from his fingertips thrumming with energy. Three distinct notes hang in the air just a moment before the magic of the Wind's Requiem takes hold. A gust of wind rushes forth from the port side. The sail billows out.

Link whoops and Tetra yells, “Here we go! Hold on!” She swings the bow to the right causing the waves to swell and crash against them. The wind whistles, pushing through the storm and flinging the rain ahead of it hard and cold like needles. They swing wide around the ghost ship, not quite past it, but almost there! Link conducts the Wind’s Requiem once more, keeping the wind at their back. They careen by, missing the ghost ship by a hair’s breadth. Wind can make out the rain weathered wood on its decaying railings. Smell the rot that’s taken hold in its hull. The blue orbs of spirits spiral past, close enough to touch. He grips the stern railing, his knuckles going white with the effort not to be tossed overboard in the wind’s wake. It’s exhilarating. He cracks open an eye. The ghost ship blurs past. He turns his head to track it and then the whole of Tetra’s ship lurches, abruptly snagged and dragged back. Link chokes. The sudden shift yanks his body away from the rails. There is a thud from below. Tetra screams, flung by the wildly spinning wheel, and hits the railing to his right.

“Fuck.” Link curses and pockets the wind waker. The world’s still spinning from the sudden change in acceleration. Blue fills his vision and blurs it. He can hear shouting from the main deck and the ringing of swords drawn from sheathes. Wind searches for a pinprick of red against the blue and gray. Locates and wobbles over to it. Tetra’s bandana is still tied, _thank goodness_ , around the neck of his captain who’s swearing up a storm to match the one around them. The rain is loud in his ears.

Wind reaches out to help drag her to her feet. “You alright?”

“Yeah.” Tetra winces and cups her elbow.

Not entirely alright.

“I’ll be fine.” She says. “You?”

Wind shakes his head to clear it, rolls his shoulders, draws the phantom sword and his shield. “Couldn’t be better. The fuck happened?!”

“We’ve been boarded!”

Wind whips around. A giant harpoon protrudes from the rear of Tetra’s ship. It connects back to the ghost ship. Rain pours down in sheets. Wind drags hair out of his eyes. Hazy shapes converge on the ghost ship’s deck. They sway a moment in the fog that’s picked up and then they’re rushing over the line connecting the ships and are upon them. Wind swipes up, scoring a miniblin toe to shoulder. Its brethren swarm past him into the fray of blades. A stalfos clatters onto the quarterdeck. Wind rolls, the stalfos’ club splintering the ground where he was a moment before. There’s a rush of green and a blast of heat. Hyrule’s next to him, the magic sword alight in flames and plunged through where the heart of the stalfos would be if living. The monster shudders and puffs out of existence.

“Thanks, ‘Rule!”

Hyrule grunts and presses his back to Wind’s. A mist enshrouds Hyrule's sword where rain hisses over the burning metal, evaporating instantly.

Twilight’s on the main deck with Sky dodging around another Stalfos. Everyone’s caught in combat against some blin or other. Wind hopes Aryll’s remained below deck. Time rushes after a wizzrobe. The hooded monster sways easily out of reach. It cackles and waves its wand. That can’t be good- Hyrule pushes right. Wind turns and Hyrule parries a bokoblin’s blade, sending it staggering back. Wind brings up his shield, and bashes as Sky had taught him, throwing another bokoblin back.

“Spin on three?” Hyrule asks over the fray. Wind links his arm through his companion’s. Hyrule mutters, “One,” Wind feeds a line of magic into the phantom blade, “Two,” a sheen of blue energy radiates across its surface and Wind can feel the increased heat from Hyrule’s own blade. “Three!” Wind pushes off his heels and runs, spinning him and Hyrule. He grips Hyrule’s bicep so they’re not dragged apart. Monsters give way under his blade sliced easily through by the magic that spins off in a circle around the two heroes. Three rotations and Wind releases his grip on Hyrule. Inertia pulls him forward and the two split off in opposite directions across the quarterdeck. Wind follows through, sinking his blade deep into the bokoblin unfortunate enough to be standing in the way. It dissipates with an abrupt squeal. Wind flicks the phantom sword clearing the residual smoke and turns. He scans the decks for red. There! Tetra’s cleared out an area around her, cutlass shining in the rain. Good.

“Gonzo!” Wind yells. The burly pirate with a tattoo swirled over his chest turns to his voice. “Grab Wild and get below deck! You need to get the harpoon out of the ship!” Golden sheikah magic shatters near the mast. A bokoblin’s scream wanes distant, its body flung out to sea. Wild, slate in hand, dashes for the door. The champion must have heard him. No matter how many monsters they slice through more seem to keep showing up. It’s gotta be that darn wizzrobe summoning them! _Where is Time?_ From the front end of the ship is a choked warble. Next to the catapult! It looks like Time’s taken out the wizzrobe but a spattering of dark magic still lingers in the air. It sinks into the deck and from it rises loose wrappings. The torn fabric whips in the harsh wind and reaches up. Time squares his stance. The fabric tears away leaving- Wind shudders- redeads. Why did it have to be redeads? Three of them. The redeads’ shriek rings over the whole of the ship. Wind's hands fly instinctively for his ears but he's not fast enough. His arms lock. Move! He has to move! There’s a shout. One of the redeads collapses under Four’s blade. Another to Legend. Wind struggles against his body. His feet are glued to the deck. There’s a sickly sucking sound below him. A gathering of shadows pools beneath his boots. A floor master? Wind is released and staggers back. His muscles feel funny coming out of the stupor, fingers somewhere between grabbing for his ears and gripping the phantom blade, and he ends up fumbling the sword. It clatters to the ground.

The shadows don’t follow him, but they gather where he was. Oozing like blood through the cracks of the floorboards and spilling over. Congealed darkness that grows and pulses with a heartbeat. It reminds Wind of the malice in Wild’s Hyrule, left over after the defeat of the Calamity, but this mess is the color of infected monster blood. Two glowing red eyes radiate through the dripping shadows. Wind can’t help but stare. Whatever the thing is it twists and churns in such a way that makes his stomach lurch. Bile rises in his throat. The silhouette of a man drags itself from the darkness. The tar like substance mats its hair together in clumps. Globules of darkness gather at the edges of the shadow’s tunic, occasionally spilling over and splattering onto the deck. The shadow’s face contorts - there are shouts from the deck below and someone yells his name - and then it smiles in Wind’s likeness. The air splits with a shriek and Wind is bound to the spot. Across from him he finds the sea green of Tetra, also frozen, a hand on her cutlass. Goddess he hates to see her not moving! Even if it’s just a redead that’s done it. He struggles and yells against his binds, body unresponsive. The shadow follows his gaze. _No! STOP!_ The shadow raises its hand and splinters of obsidian snap together forming a glinting dark triangle which hovers over its palm. The shadow lunges, casting the dark triangle before Tetra and a plate sized blue portal explodes between them, humming into life. The King's words come to mind, _“Blue is the color of time.”_ The shadow reaches into the portal, it looks like it’s reaching into Tetra herself, and pulls out something glittering and golden at the end of a braided thread. The portal snaps shut and the ship shudders with a collectively drawn breath.

Released, Wind yells, “It’s got the triforce!” and lunges for the shadow. Maybe that’s not the triforce whole but it’s Tetra’s half of wisdom so close enough! How the heck did the shadow get it? His point gets across though and frantic shouts and thundering footsteps rush to his aid. The shadow swipes the dark triangle though the air again and a dark portal whizzes into existence. A travel portal. Wind slams into the shadow, sending them both barreling through. Space contorts around them. Wind looks back in time to see Tetra hurl the phantom sword through the portal after him. The rest of the heroes fall in after. Legend looks absolutely fucking furious. Wind’s glad to see Tetra beyond the portal. She’ll take care of Aryll and the monsters were mostly picked off already. Nothing the crew can’t handle. Wind’s used to the portals by now, having been with the group for so long, but the feel this time is _bad_ . He feels like he’s being stretched out in all directions at once. And it _hurts_ . This happened before when the group was separated. The portals have so far always spat them out in the same Hyrule, the same _time_ , but sometimes in different places. They’re going to be separated again, aren’t they? Wind tries to collect his body enough amongst the warping of space and time to grab onto and climb over the shadow. It fights back and claws at him. Cold blades rake across his right shoulder. It burns! Wind yells and smacks the hand that holds Tetra’s necklace, inadvertently sending the triforce shard spiraling away from them. It blinks out amidst the swirling chaos. Hopefully it ends up with one of his friends! Better make sure the shadow doesn’t get to it again. Wind clings to the witheringly cold being and resigns himself to the portal’s shifting. The space twists and pulls and drags and stretches and then everything collapses in on itself and Wind is flung into a bed of rocks.

\---

  
  


Link swipes his hands against his trousers, knocking off some of the black soot that powders his gloves.

“That’s the rest of your order, Yeko.” The blond hero kicks the wheelbarrow full of coal and shoulders his shovel. He wipes the quickly chilling sweat off his brow. Snow falls gently around them, covering the ground to ankle height. “You need help carting that back to your house?”

The anouki shakes his head. “Don’t worry about me, Link. Unlike some wimpy horned anouki, carting a bunch of coal is no problem-o.” The yellow-clad anouki, Yeko, strikes a pose showing off his pronged horns proudly.

“Glad to hear it.” Link chuckles. The anouki are always grumbly about each other but at the end of the day they can work together just fine. Link twitches his ears involuntarily to keep warm It's tempting to go into the village with Yeko anyways and warm up inside one of their cozy little houses, but he’s got an appointment to meet at 3:00 that he can't be late for. He’ll have to come back sometime and take the shop keeper, Akin, up on their offer to fit him with an Anouki Village signature sweater. It’d probably cost a small fortune. His running nose objects. Alright, worth it. Link makes a mental note to check in with Linebeck and sell some treasures to cover the cost.

“Where’s the rest of the coal going?” Yeko eyes the storage cart that's still half filled with coal.

“Oh, I’m taking it back home with me.” Niko had said they needed some more.

“I see, I see.” The anouki nods and waves. “Thank you for the delivery. See ya later, Link!”

“Later, Yeko.” Link tips his hat. Yeko waddles away, pushing the wheelbarrow through the snow. Link checks his watch. It’s 2:30. If he leaves now he should make it to his next appointment with time to spare. The warm glow of magic tickles his nose. He looks up. A small golden triangle at the end of a braided cord hovers in the air before him. A force gem! The manifestation of gratitude. It must be from Yeko. Link takes the small gem with a smile. He thought he’d already collected all of these! He turns the gem over in his hands. This one has a notch in it, making it more of a V shape overall. He wonders briefly if it’s broken, but the warmth of its magic seeps through his gloves and courses through his body, apparently fine despite the nick in its side. He could use it now, but instead he carefully slips the cord over his head and tucks the gem into his shirt. It’ll keep him warm. And Zelda would want to see it, too. He’ll see where it leads in the next realm over.

Link turns on his heel and hops off the platform. His boots hit a wooden deck with a satisfying thunk.

“All aboard!” The hero bounces and shouts to no one but himself. Link twirls the shovel, stokes the furnace, checks that everything is as it should be, and then pulls the whistle twice. Its call fills the air. Satisfied, Link shifts gears. The wheels turn ever so slowly, gaining speed, and then the spirit train is chugging merrily down the track. Link holds onto his hat and sticks his face out into the frigid breeze. The wind pulls at his hair and chills his cheeks, but it’s not so bad as it usually is. The force gem’s magic warms him from the inside out.

**Author's Note:**

> It's Spirit! Did you see that coming? Apparently this lad doesn't have an established tag. I could have tagged him but I wanted to keep it a surprise. Hopefully that's alright!
> 
> This fic was born out of the idea for a Spirit Tracks x Wind Waker x Castle in the Sky crossover. I was listening to Ghibli music and the song "The Chase" from Castle in the Sky came up. (It's the part where Pasu and Sheeta are running from the Dola gang along the train tracks.) It's got the chugging of the train moving the piece forward and then the pirate theme comes in! It's perfect. Trains and pirates! This fic kinda took a turn from that but there will be traces.
> 
> (Please bear with me if I got any of the lore wrong. I'm relying heavily on the Zelda gamepedia. If anything is glaringly wrong though feel free to message me over on tumblr or something.)


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